RAS question
Which wildlife sanctuary in Rajasthan is known for its population of the Great Indian Bustard?
Correct answer: (C) Desert National Park, Jaisalmer.
Desert National Park in Jaisalmer is the Rajasthan protected area known for the Great Indian Bustard, the critically endangered state bird of Rajasthan.
Explanation
Desert National Park is the right answer because the question is asking for the Rajasthan protected area associated with the Great Indian Bustard, not simply for a famous wildlife site. Desert National Park in Jaisalmer is the primary habitat of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard, also known as Godawan, and it is Rajasthan's state bird. The official Rajasthan State Biodiversity Board page lists Desert National Park in the Jaisalmer-Barmer region and names the Great Indian Bustard among its main wildlife. That direct pairing separates it from better-known tiger or wetland bird sites in Rajasthan.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The official Rajasthan State Biodiversity Board page lists tiger, panther, bear, sambhar and chital as Ranthambore's main wildlife, so it does not match the Great Indian Bustard clue.
- (B) The official Rajasthan State Biodiversity Board page describes Sariska as a tiger-associated protected area, and its listed wildlife does not identify it as the Great Indian Bustard site.
- (D) Keoladeo, listed as Keola-Dev (Ghana) at Bharatpur, is associated with resident and migratory birds along with species such as chital and python, not the Great Indian Bustard.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan geography through protected-area species association: matching a flagship species with its habitat. It recurs in RAS because state symbols, endangered species and national parks are standard environment-and-biodiversity facts.